Filling feeler



June 26, 1945. J. M; TUTEN FILLING FEELER Filed Jan 20, 1944 JAMES M ZvrE/v M 7% ATTORNEY Patented June 26, 1945 FILLING FEELER James M. Tuten, Greenville, S. 0., assignor to Draper Corporation, Hopedale, Mass., a corporation of Maine Application January 20, 1944, Serial No. 518,986

1 Claim.

The present invention relates generally to filling feeler mechanisms for automatic filling replenishing looms and, as illustrated herein, relates more particularly to filling feeler tips for such filling feeler mechanisms.

Feeler mechanisms now in common use generally comprise a feeler mounted for movement forwardly and rearwardly of the loom, and, in the side slipping type, for movement crosswise of the loom. Such feeler mechanisms are ordinarily provided with a blade which projects through an opening in the shuttle and has a tip which engages the filling on the filling carrier. The feeler tip is usually provided with a sharp point or points to prevent slippage of the tip on the filling. Such a sharp point is objectionable since with fine and hard wound filling, such for example, as rayon, the filling or strands thereof may be cut so that either stoppage of the 100m will be effected or ragged filling will be woven into the cloth. In either case, a defect in the cloth will result.

One object of the present invention is to provide an improved tip for filling feelers wherein the above mentioned difiiculties will be overcome. To this end and in accordance with one feature of the invention, the illustrated filling feeler is provided with a pair of spaced relatively dull points which are offset slightly from each other to permit the points to straddle at least one filling strand and thus prevent slipping of the blade.

With the above and other objects and features in view the invention will now be described with particular reference to the accompanying drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention and in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the feeler mechanism;

Fig. 2 is a plan View similar to the one shown in Fig. l but showing the feeler in side slipping position;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line III-III of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a detail view, partly in section, taken along the line IVIV of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a; perspective detail view showing the parts in feeling position.

In the drawing, the illustrated feeler tip is shown as applied to a feeler mechanism similar to that disclosed and claimed in United States Letters Patent No. 1,593,425 granted July 20, 1926, to Brown and Repass.

The illustrated mechanism comprises a feeler stand or housing I!) in which a feeler blade I2 is mounted for movement inwardly and rearwardly of the loom and also transversely thereof. ,The feeler blade I2 has a laterally extending arm l4 which is normally urged toward the rear edge of the housing ID by a spiral spring IS. The blade I2 is permitted to slide laterally when the filling on a filling carrier I8 is substantially exhausted. Such side slipping movement sets into operation a train of mechanism for effecting replenishment of the filling. Such mechanism forms no part of the present invention and is clearly shown in the above mentioned patent to Brown and Repass.

The filling carrier I8 is mounted in a shuttle 20 of usual construction and is supported therein by a spring 22. The shuttle is provided with a usual slot 24 in its forward wall through which the ieelerblade I2 is inserted during operation of the loom. Figs. 1, 2 and 5 illustrate portions of the front and back walls 26, 28,-respectively, in which the shuttle 20 is received and stopped in a predetermined position to permit proper functioning of the ieeler mechanism. The parts so far described are well known in the art and need not be further described herein since their construction and operation is understood by those skilled in the art.

The feeler blade I2 is preferably formed of suitable material, for example, steel wire, which may be bent or otherwise formed into the shape shown in the drawing. The tip 30- is fiat and, as best shown in Fig. 4 of the drawing, is inclined at an angle of about 60 with the horizontal. This angle may be increased or decreased if so desired but the illustrated angle has been found to be satisfactory under nearly all conditions of operation.

- The extreme end of the tip 30 is approximately inch in width and is of suflicient thickness to be rigid. The tip 30 is provided with two spaced points 32, 34. These points 32, 34 because of theangular position of the tip straddle at least one strand of the filling 36. Thus, even if one point fails to hold and the blade I2 starts to slip sidewise, the other point will engage behind a strand of filling and prevent further sidewise slipping movement of the blade l2. The length of the points 32, 34 is somewhat greater than the height of any are which they might normally subtend during normal use. This is necessary to insure that the points alone will engage the filling on the filling carrier. The points 32, 34 are not sharp and thus will not cut or fray the filling.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

A filling feeler including a side slipping feeler blade having a substantially straight rearwardly extending stem and a fiat feeler tip at the rearwafd end of said stem, said tip comprising an inlength to engage filling on a filling carrier to preclined flat portion extending rearwardly from vent slipping of said blade so that each point will said straight stem and terminating at its rear be in engagement with the filling on the filling edge in a substantially straight line and having carrier each time that said feeler blade eng'ages a rearwardly extending point at each end of said 5 said filling.

rear edge, said points each being of sufilcient JAMES M. TUTEN. 

